Consistent with the directive of PAR-06-355, "Building Translational Research in Integrative Behavioral Science (R21)", we aim to develop and test a heuristic model that integrates the discoveries and experimental methods on the neural substrates of affective processing from the disciplines of affective neuroscience, psychophysiology, and clinical science. Using a prospective treatment outcome design, we will determine the temporal stability of individual differences of motivational substrates of emotion in healthy and depressed adults, and determine the prognostic accuracy of two separable features of biased affective information processing, affective asymmetry and affective reactivity, as indicators of early treatment outcome with a behavioral treatment for depression, Behavioral Activation. This study fosters collaboration between two affective neuroscience researchers, Drs. Cacioppo and Norris, whose research activities focus on basic behavioral theory and methods to measure affective mechanisms in non-clinical samples, and two clinical researchers whose work focuses on risk prediction and treatment of depression, Drs. Gollan and Gilmer. We will gather data on 100 depressed and non-depressed adults across four measurement occasions at the pre-, mid-, post-treatment, and the three month follow-up evaluations. We will use a multi-method measurement of affective processing in both laboratory and clinical settings using clinical interviews and physiological approaches (e.g., electroencephalography [EEG], facial electromyography [EMG]) and implicit measures that generate indices of affective asymmetry and affective reactivity. The primary independent variables are measures of affective asymmetry (e.g., 8-min resting baseline EEG [Davidson, 1998;negativity bias as measured by greater reactivity [e.g., facial EMG, skin conductance with EDA, and self-report ratings] to negative than to equally arousing and extreme positive stimuli;positivity offset as measured by greater positive than negative effect in response to neutral stimuli) and of affective reactivity (e.g., EEG, EDA, facial EMG while viewing emotional pictures, emotion-modulated startle responses). Our translational approach will positively impact the field of affective neuroscience by testing the degree to which physiological and affective processes linked with activation of neural circuitry predict treatment response and are readily identifiable in the early stages of behavioral treatment. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Consistent with the directive of PAR-06-355, "Building Translational Research in Integrative Behavioral Science (R21)", we will test an approach that integrates the discoveries and experimental methods from the disciplines of affective neuroscience, psychophysiology, and clinical science. Using a prospective treatment outcome design, we aim to test the degree to which physiological and affective processes, linked with activation of neural circuitry, predict clinical outcome and are readily identifiable in the early stages of behavioral treatment of major depression.